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Auburn quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates with defensive back Noah Igbinoghene (4) after he returned a kickoff for a touchdown during the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. Minnesota leads Auburn 24-17 at halftime. Jake Crandall/ Advertiser

Tulane wide receiver Darnell Mooney (3) gets away from Auburn defensive back Noah Igbinoghene (4) after a reception during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) The Associated Press

Auburn running back Harold Joiner (22) is pushed out of bounds by Auburn defensive back Noah Igbinoghene (4) during the A-Day spring practice game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 13, 2019. Jake Crandall

Auburn defensive back Noah Igbinoghene (4) is taken down as he returns a kick off during the Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. Alabama leads Auburn 17-14 at halftime. Jake Crandall

Auburn defensive back Noah Igbinoghene breaks up a pass intended for Georgia wide receiver Jeremiah Holloman (9) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) The Associated Press

Auburn wide receiver Noah Igbinoghene (4) makes a catch during a game between Tennessee and Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama on Saturday, October 13, 2018. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel NFS

Auburn wide receiver/defensive back Noah Igbinoghene (4) celebrates a 96-yard touchdown on a kickoff return during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) The Associated Press

LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2) catches a pass and tries to get around Auburn defensive back Noah Igbinoghene (4) as he carries the ball during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill) Butch Dill, AP

Alabama All Star Noah Igbinoghene of Hewitt-Trussville attempts to catch a touchdown pass as Mississippi All Star Demarcus Jones of Warren Central guards him during the Alabama vs. Mississippi All-Star high school football game at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. Albert Cesare / Advertiser

AUBURN — Noah Igbinoghene was a wide receiver in February 2018. A talented one (he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2017), but also a little-used one — he caught just six passes for 24 yards, all in September of his freshman season.

So, during spring practice before the start of his sophomore season, Auburn decided to try him at cornerback, which is a position he hadn't played since middle school. He earned a starting role after just six practices. He rose to No. 1 on the depth chart in just his second season playing the position.

And on Friday, just a little more than two years after making that switch, Igbinoghene heard his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft — the Miami Dolphins selected the cornerback with the 30th overall pick.

"It's really a blessing. It was so exciting to hear my phone ring," Igbinoghene said on a Dolphins' Drive Time podcast. "It was an anxious moment, but it was an exciting moment. I'm so excited for my family. It was a sigh of relief — knowing I'm getting drafted, knowing I don't have to wait anymore."

"Really excited for Noah, really excited for his family," Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said in a statement. "He chose to come out early, and for him to go in the first round, that's really big.

"The Dolphins are getting a special player who's only played corner really for two years, so we think his best ball is ahead of him. He's a great competitor, he's a super kick returner, so I think they're getting the complete package with Noah."

For Igbinoghene, it's just the next chapter in what has been a meteoric rise for a gifted athlete who was a state-champion triple-jumper in high school and boasts a pair of Olympic track athletes for parents — mom Faith and dad Festus competed in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Games, respectively.

When Igbinoghene played his first game at cornerback against Washington to open the 2018 season, quarterback Jake Browning picked on him. By the time he completed his junior season at Auburn last year, opposing offenses were avoiding him.

"I'm an ultimate competitor," Igbinoghene told reporters at the NFL Combine last month. I feel like my mental is even more important than my physical, even though my physical is out of this world. I have the traits and intangibles to do anything I want on the field. ... I'm really confident. I'm really confident in anything I do."

Igbinoghene finished his two years at cornerback with 92 tackles, 2 1/2 tackles for loss, one interception, 19 pass breakups and a forced fumble. He allowed just three touchdowns in 878 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

The former Hewitt-Trussville standout is also an elite kick returner, averaging 27.3 yards and scoring two touchdowns in 44 opportunities.

"You could make the argument that he's the third-best cornerback in this draft," ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. "He's still a little raw, but he's got a lot of talent."

The Dolphins have a crowded secondary with Byron Jones and Xavien Howard locked in at cornerback, but they could use a nickelback after trading former first-round pick Minkah Fitzpatrick last season, and Igbinoghene could fit that bill.

“Best player on the board for us,” Miami general manager Chris Grier told reporters. “We felt really good about Noah. We got to know him. This is a passing league as everyone says. You can never have enough corners."

Josh Vitale is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can follow him on Twitter at @JoshVitale. To reach him by email, click here.